Golf practice device



Aug. 20, 1935. R. G. HOLMES GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE LLLLL -.llvoiltonu relates irliorovewollte.linV golf Maggio@ ClovlooS-.Suoh as,indloate ,in a .general way th force, of the blowbythehead of the club galgstltllecsolf: ball-...Tho device also affords emtloment andoxoroisof.. .z 1

:One obioot of the invention isto :provide an ,improvodtslevloezngwhohqthe ball is supported by a radial arm projecties-,from a; vertical. rlotatebls-shaftgv'ho1oby when, the lloa1l; lsV Struck, .illes-ha ylinder to. indicate the force of `thefrvzqlow ushthe arfprosura in said cylinder. c 5

charaeterv in winchV theair cushions theblow Vso tlat'jhere ,islittleorl no-shockto the registering mshenslilarld' associated.. parts-1.

f @allther ,obioot is. to provide a.. device of this oharaoter in which the, height: of `the ballabovo th l1f1 rlortl;1ey sfoundmav-bo conveniently resuf lateqff; -`-5 -L'Q Ot, erHbjects ancladvantag'eswilLbeapparent e following vdescription-.of the preferred .toftho invention, Y .-1 a the aooomparlving drawing?" Y 1f Fig. l is a top plan View oi one Ailourrnin which the-invention maypeunanufactured Fi `Zis a Ycentral sectional elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4v is an enlarged section on one end of the pump on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; n

Fig. 5 Ais a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional elevation of'a modied form of relief valve.

The device comprises a suitable base I9 such as one having an inverted saucer shape and made of metal having an octagonalor other outline.V

y The base supports a verticaLrotatable vshaft II in a suitable bearing I2 whichV may contain ball bearing raceways. The shaft I Isupports a frame having a number of upright arms I 3 or extensions atl the ends of the radial arms, of which four are'shown in the drawing. A pair of wires or smallrods I4 pass through aligned openings in yeach pair of arms I3`I3, as shown in Fig. '1 andare held in place by set screws I5.k The wires I4 are preferably curved to bring their outer ends nearthe flooror the ground and a golf ball I isailixed to the outer end. Although an, ordinary golf ball may beused, through holes in which the wires may be inserted, any other suitable ball or impact member may be used, such for example as oneV made' of hard rubber molded about the ends of said wires.

By 'means of the set screws I5 the ball may. be adjustedany suitable height above the oor and 'neem Gnomes, Lakeneima-Wiss v p Appliaatioi; neonata@ 1933, sei-iai nu. rodi/7c. -`iClaiivis jv (C1.eestop,`

,ft will rotate and causo airto be pumped.

" Matheland-is lo provide av device offthis" f may ,bel alsoiadjustedtoward or away from athe shaftiltovary theeiective radius. v ,j The lowergend` ofy the shaft I I Vmaybe slotted at I'I totreceivefa crankyl, ,heldpingplace by--a stud*y 'le-V`vy The 'cranlnhasy a pin or preferablyA va i5 universalV jointv 2B `nearthe'end thereof, connecte of a suitable type; lmay be mounted on theend of rthe' piston rod and `is-provided ,withva exible fla-p23 coveringpan aperture.. in the piston whereby said lpistonzwhen moved outwardlyl, will inthe other end of the cylinder being closed 'by facapd A check valveforvball valve 21 isgconnected to the end Zwherebyainmaybe pumped out through said valve butcannot return. See

Fig-4.

The :IaV said cylinder,` being mounted' to oscillate yby means bolt spasses throughanopening in saidbracket and also tlrrou'gha sleeve v35i, beingscrewedinto thallorizontaltor plato; comprising part ofthe base. The swivel joint thus formed allows the air pump cylinder to oscillate under the influence of the crank I8. p A' v vIt will be apparentthat when the golf ball is struck it will rotatethe shaft II a number of times about the axis, there being practically no resistance to the impact "when the ball is struck, except'the inertia of the parts, but as soon as the crank I8 begins to turn, it compresses the air in the cylinder 24 and as the piston moves back and forth a number of times it pumps airfrom said cylinder vthrough the hose SI into'the reservoir 32, building up the pressure therein and forcingthefpiston-33 and the the alignment of the club head with respect to the ball.

`In order to release the air compressed in the reservoir, a relief valve 38 is provided whch, when pressed inwardly, by the hand or foot, permits the air to escape. A spring 39 is secured to Va bracket 40 on the rod 34 at one end and is adjustably attached to aV fixed support Yat the other Aend by anut 4I, whereby said spring isY extended when the piston 22 is forced outwardly as the air is pumped into the reservoir, but retracts and moves said rod and the piston 22 in rthe opposite direction when said air is released.

The spring may be adjusted to regulate the movement of `the :indicator in accordance with` the graduations of the scale, i. e. so that the maximum reading maybe in pounds, in yards, or some other unit of measurement. ,V

In Fig. 6, 42 is part of the base, aflixed to which, or made integrally with which, are projections or flanges 43 supporting a pin 44 which acts as a fulcrum for lever 45, one end of which is bent so that it can easily be moved with the foot, and the other end of which is connected to valve and valve stem 46 located at the endfof reservoir 32. A spring "41 heldbetween lever45 and base 42-holdsva1ve 46 shut through the medium'of lever 45." .,When pressure is'exerted by the foot enlever 45.: against the force 'of the spring 41 it opens valve 46 releasing the air compressed in the Areservoir.' This means may be used instead of relief valve 38 shownin Fig. 3. f

It will be'noted that the cylinders form pneumatic cushion or a dash pot to cushion the forcefof'theV blow kstruck against the golf ball and therefore there is no sudden jar orshock applied to the registering parts of the mechanism and the pressure builds up gradually where ytwo Acylinders are employed. Also, the rotating parts Vwill `turn either in clockwise or counterclockwise a cylinder pivotally supported beneath said plate whereby it may oscillate, a piston therein connected to said crank, an air reservoir supported beneath said plate, a duct connecting'said reservoir and said cylinder, a check valve in said duct, a piston in said reservoir movable in re- Vof the air in said reservoir.

2. A device as in daim 1 with the addition of y arelief valve for said reservoir tov permit saidA spring to restore the indicator to zero position. 3. A golf practice device comprising a base, a rotatable member supported thereby, a radial arm on said member, a ball on said arm whereby the impact of a golf Vclub on said ball will cause said member tojmake severalrevolutions'an air pump, mechanical connections from said member to said pump, a reservoir communicating with said pump, a gauge indicating-*the pressure therein, a relief valve forv said reservoir, and-av lever mechanically connected'to said relief valve 'and supported rotatably by said, base, one endof lsaid lever-projecting fromsaid base. 4 Y

' 4. A golf practice device' comprising a hollow base having -arhorizontalv plate, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in an Aopening in said plate; a radial arm extending outwardly from said shaft beyond said base and downwardly'below the top of the same, a crank mounted onthe'lo'wer end of said shaft, a cylinderY pivotally supportedfbeneath said plate whereby it may oscillate, a piston .therein connected to said crank, 'a second cylinder supported beneath said'plate,a ductconnecting said second cylinder to the rst cylinder, a check valve in said duct, apiston insaid second cylinder'movable in responseto increase in the pressure of the air pumpedftherein by said rst cylinder and piston,A an indicatoren said base, and connections between saidindicator and said second cy1inder.` f i -A/.YRoBER'ra HOLMES; 

